IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 297 

Expressing support for designation of the first full week of May as ‘‘National 

Mental Health No Stigma Week’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 3, 2015 

Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. 

FATTAH, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. JACKSON

LEE, Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. SABLAN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, 

Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. LEE, Mr. DELANEY, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Ms. 

SPEIER, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. VARGAS, Ms. KELLY of 

Illinois, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. MOORE, Ms. NORTON, Ms. JUDY CHU of 

California, Mr. THOMPSON of California, and Mrs. DINGELL) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for designation of the first full week 

of May as ‘‘National Mental Health No Stigma Week’’. 

Whereas it is in the best interest of the United States to increase awareness regarding the negative stigma associated with mental illness; 

Whereas stigma is a very real problem for people who have 

a mental illness; 

Whereas every person needs and deserves to feel a sense of 

belonging, and not be excluded or ostracized; 


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•HRES 297 IH 

Whereas the most formidable obstacle to future progress in 

the area of mental health is stigma, and today, the 

United States has the power to tear down that obstacle; 

Whereas throughout the United States, there are efforts by 

public and private mental health agencies that work tirelessly to educate the public about the harmful effects of 

stigma; 

Whereas some of the harmful effects of stigma include trying 

to pretend nothing is wrong, refusal to seek treatment, 

rejection by family and friends, work or school problems 

or discrimination, difficulty finding housing, being subjected to physical violence or harassment, and inadequate 

health insurance coverage of mental illnesses; 

Whereas 1 in 4 adults, approximately 61,500,000 people in 

the United States, experiences mental illness in a given 

year and 1 in 17, approximately 13,600,000 live with a 

serious mental illness; 

Whereas approximately 20 percent of youth ages 13 to 18 

and approximately 13 percent of those ages 8 to 15 experience severe mental disorders in a given year; 

Whereas while 1 in 5 people in the United States lives with 

a mental disorder, estimates indicate that nearly twothirds of all people with a diagnosable mental illness do 

not seek treatment, especially people from diverse communities; 

Whereas despite civil rights laws, such as the Americans with 

Disabilities Act of 1990, people with mental illnesses 

often experience discrimination in education, housing, 

health care, and the workplace; 

Whereas according to the California Mental Health Services 

Oversight and Accountability Commission’s report of 


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•HRES 297 IH 

2007, a public education campaign can improve the 

public’s awareness of unmet needs and reduce the harmful effects of stigma and discrimination; and 

Whereas the first full week of May would be an appropriate 

week to designate as ‘‘National Mental Health No Stigma Week’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports 

2 the designation of ‘‘National Mental Health No Stigma 

3 Week’’. 

Æ 


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